{"id":26031,"date":"2023-08-07T19:13:10","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T19:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/08\/07\/federal-employees-in-dc-area-sent-home-due-to-severe-weather\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:06:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:06:40","slug":"federal-employees-in-dc-area-sent-home-due-to-severe-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/breaking-news\/2023\/08\/07\/federal-employees-in-dc-area-sent-home-due-to-severe-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal employees in DC area sent home due to severe weather"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Office of Personnel Management is telling <\/a>federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area, including civilians working at the Pentagon, to leave offices two hours early ahead of severe storms beginning Monday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All employees must depart no later than 3:00 p.m. EST, OPM said in the announcement on Aug. 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees who are working at their office will receive weather and safety leave for the amount of time it takes them to commute home, at which point they must then complete the remainder of their workday via telework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those already teleworking or working remotely are expected to continue work, OPM said, and are generally ineligible for leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees who cannot telework will be dismissed from their office two hours earlier than their normal departure time but no later than the final departure time of 3:00 p.m. Leave will be granted for the remainder of the workday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who are already on leave generally should continue to be charged leave or other paid time off, and workers who depart the office earlier than OPM directed may request unscheduled leave or other PTO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch employees will not be granted weather and safety leave for any part of the workday,\u201d OPM says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further changes to the government\u2019s operating status, check OPM\u2019s site here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roughly 15 million people are under a tornado watch on Monday in effect until 9 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are under a level 4 out of 5 risk,\u201d the Capital Weather Gang tweeted, which is a weather watch service by The Washington post. \u201cThe last time that happened locally was June 13, 2013; the previous time before that was the June 29, 2012 derecho.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intense storms are forecasted with strong winds between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

08\/07: Federal offices in the DC area are OPEN but have a staggered early departure with the option for unscheduled leave. Employees must depart by 3:00 PM at which time Federal offices are closed. Visit https:\/\/t.co\/XNpFS40aXT<\/a> for more details.<\/p>— U.S. Office of Personnel Management (@USOPM) August 7, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>